


A Collection of Firsts

by coconutcranberries (orphan_account)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: I wrote this at the end of mark of athena, M/M, from my tumblr, just drabbly stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-24
Updated: 2014-04-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 12:30:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1056778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/coconutcranberries
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If I pretend that House Of Hades didn't happen, then this could totally work. It's just a couple of little drabbly thingys about Leo and Nico and their firsts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhhh, people seemed to like it on my tumblr, so i put it on here as well? I found it in the depths of my computer and dusted it off :) here you go!

The first time they met was a disaster. It had started with Nico being rescued from a giant jar and ended with Leo thinking that Nico Di’ Angelo was one creepy guy. Leo felt like he was suffocating from all the guilt and worry and bone-deep tiredness. Nico was too weak to stand and felt shattered inside.

That night, Leo sat by Festus’ head and murmured in Spanish, berating himself for being so stupid. If he hadn’t made that deal…

“What deal?” Leo whipped around to come face to face with a milk-white, skinny kid in a black jacket. He was twisting a silver skull ring around his finger and looked at Leo with reluctant curiosity. “Did I say that out loud?” Nico gave him a look, which Leo translated to mean would I be asking you if you didn’t? 

“What deal? And why are you out here?” Leo patted the space on the floor, which was surprisingly comfortable and after a moment’s hesitation, Nico joined him. Leo then proceeded to tell him about Nemesis, the Goddess of stupid fortune cookies and his run-in with the eidolons. Nico listened, which surprised him, because people didn’t normally   
listen to Leo; they tuned him out and rolled their eyes at all his bad jokes. 

“It wasn’t your fault. Now, why are you out here, aren’t you cold?” Leo stared at the boy in front of him in something close to disbelief. He had just had a big conversation loaded with enough feelings to fill a cornucopia and all Nico says is, It wasn’t your fault. Leo was about to make some sarcastic remark in return when he accidentally catches Nico’s eyes.

They are sad, he realises, but not the sad of someone who just spent ages down in Tartarus. Tartarus has made them scared, but something else has made him sad. Leo looks for a moment longer and when Nico repeats what he said, “It wasn’t your fault,” his voice is much softer. Leo can feel the guilt slowly ease off him. It’s not all gone, hell he’s still suffocating, but Nico’s made it a little easier to breathe just by listening. Leo decides to return the favour.

They stay there for a while, and Leo learns things. Small things at first, like how Nico used to play some card game before he grew out of it and how he always eats the green jelly beans first. Leo shares a few things about himself, about how he used to win all the science project competitions at school and can say almost anything in Morse code, now that he’s practised it. It’s nice and simple and easy, which is something neither have felt in a while and neither want to let go of. Nico says that he doesn’t want to fall asleep, in case he has nightmares.

They sit there until the sun starts to get lighter and Leo feels Nico’s head hit his shoulder. He doesn’t move, afraid to breathe in case it wakes his new friend up, but he can’t help but turn his head slightly so he can watch him breathe peacefully. Leo hopes he’s keeping the nightmares away and then mentally yells at the cheesy mushy thought that somehow entered his brain. 

The first time they met may have been a disaster, Leo thinks as he watches the sunlight reflect off Festus, lighting up Nico’s black hair and making him feel warm, but the second time was when they first knew each other. You couldn’t count the first time if it’s not much more than a glance and an introduction, because it wasn’t like in the movies; you didn’t see someone and then immediately know you were going to like them. Leo decided the first time they met didn’t count if the second one was perfect. And it was; perfect. 

The first time Leo saw Nico laugh was amazing. He had coaxed a few chuckles and smiles out of him while they’d been sailing, but this was different. Leo didn’t even have to crack a joke.

He’d been working on the engine in the tiny bit of free time he’d stolen. Leo had pressed the autopilot buttons and asked Jason to steer them for a bit, neglecting to mention that Jason didn’t actually have to do anything, and had wandered down to the engine room. It was making a stupid rattling noise which wasn’t altogether comforting.

Leo had his body half under the engine, tinkering with the bolts and muttering profanities because this stupid bolt couldn’t just give him a break and turn could it? He was so wrapped up in the task that he didn’t notice a certain Ghost King until he spoke. 

“Need any help?” Several things happened.

Leo jumped, letting out a yelp when the movement dislodged the bolt. The bolt pinged forward and let loose a huge stream of something, which Leo hoped was just oil and not some deadly face-destroying poison, because that’s exactly where it chose to land. All over Leo’s face. Swearing and cursing in Spanish and English, he rolled to the side, squealing rather girlishly when he landed on one of his tools and sitting bolt upright. This turned out to be a mistake, seeing as he hadn’t rolled far enough and ended up hitting his head with a resounding clang. 

Groaning now and clutching his oil-covered face which was probably going to bruise, he rolled again and sat up once he was safely out of the way of evil metal. He groped around for a weapon and picked up whatever it was he’d rolled over. Pointing it wildly in the direction of the voice, Leo shouted out “Who’s there? Im armed, im warning you!” 

He removed his hand from his face and felt all the blood rush to it instead. “Oh…”

Nico stood a few feet away from the mechanic, mouth open and eyes wide, though not as wide as said mechanics. Leo realised he must look just a tad stupid. He blushed again and quickly lowered what he could now identify was a spanner-one that he had been pointing in completely the wrong direction. A few seconds of stunned silence continued before a tiny sound interrupted. 

Leo lifted his eyes from where he had been determinedly staring at the floor. The sight that met him both warmed and shocked him. Nico was shaking, his head bowed and one small hand pressed against his mouth, not quite muffling the sniggers he seemed incapable of stopping. Leo grumbled something half-heartedly and went to stand up, only making it half-way before he slipped in a tiny puddle of oil from the engine and landed none too lightly on the floor, arms flailing wildly and pin wheeling in an effort to stay balanced. He firmly denied the shriek that left his mouth, because shrieking was a girly thing to do and Leo Valdez was extremely manly, thank you very much.

Nico lost it. Apparently the sight of Leo sprawled on the floor for a second time was too much for him and he bent double clutching his side and laughing hysterically. The peals of laughter only doubled when Leo scowled “I’m glad you find it so funny, this is your fault!” Nico made a few vague gestures before giving up and just lying down, his laughter combined with snorts that echoed off the walls of the engine room. 

It took Hazel and Frank and Piper running down to see what was causing all the noise for Leo to decide this definitely went on his list of The-stupidest-things-Leo-Valdez-has-ever-done. His friends took in the sight of them both lying on the floor, Leo a complete mess and Nico barely breathing and then all three started snickering. Leo scowled at them all and then took in Hazel’s expression. She was looking at her brother with something like relief and when she turned to Leo, he could see the grateful look in her eyes. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with that, so he just nodded uncomfortably and then allowed Nico’s infectious laughter to spread to him.

Maybe this wasn’t quite on the list then, if it got Nico to laugh like that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know.

The infirmary was a rush job, built for small injuries and damage control, just off the side of the Big House. It was not, Clovis thought decidedly, built for comfort. He elbowed the thin mattress, which seemed to be made entirely of springs with just a sheet thrown messily on top. There was no pillow, which was a shame because he could really do with some sleep. 

Clovis was the only one in the infirmary, although a few children of Apollo rushed through intermittently, arms overflowing with bandages and Ambrosia. The sounds of the battle outside had died down with the arrival of the Argo II. Clovis hadn’t seen the Seven Heroes, or even the ship; he’d been too busy getting thrown against a bunch of rocks by a stray explosive. The impact had given him a concussion, plus a few broken limbs. There was also the fact that the broken arm had an arrow embedded in it, although how it ended up there he had no clue. 

A faint cheer went up outside, one that had Clovis sitting up suddenly. He regretted the decision immediately, lying back down with a yawn and clutching his head dizzily with his good arm. The room was spinning but he didn’t want to close his eyes. A concussion wasn’t the best of injuries to have when you’re the son of Hypnos. Sweat was gathering across his forehead and his arm was throbbing with pain.

The makeshift doors at the front of the infirmary were flung open and a small group of people trickled in, chattering loudly. Clovis winced at the noise but managed to shift upright, until he was propped up against the wall. He cradled his arm, which was bent at a funny angle and made him feel sick to look at. His left leg was sprawled out, surrounded by hastily placed blankets. The ambrosia wasn’t working yet and there weren’t enough demigods around who could set his leg or arm. 

Clovis watched the group of people, eyes widening in surprise when he realised who they were. Jason Grace was closest, his back to Clovis and his arm around Piper McLean. Clovis recognised Annabeth, although she looked awful, a lot different to the last time he’d seen her. The haunted look on her face was similar to the boy next to her, who he guessed was Percy Jackson. They were both sat on one of the beds lining the opposite wall, eyes fixed on a girl in Roman armour and a small skinny kid in shredded black clothes. They were both talking intently to the rest of the group, describing something about a statue. Clovis didn’t have a clue who the other two were, although he thought he’d seen Valdez throw himself on one of the beds. 

‘We managed to stop the battle before there was too much damage, although it wasn’t easy.’ The Roman girl sounded tired, but there was a hint of relief in her voice. The boy next to her, who Clovis realised had to be Nico di Angelo, nodded in agreement and dragged a hand through his hair. 

‘I don’t know what kind of magic is in that statue,’ Nico said grimly, ‘but it’s extremely powerful.’ 

Clovis blinked heavily at the group of heroes. They didn’t look heroic, not the way they were. They were all just kids, the same age as him. Clover was sixteen, although he didn’t feel it at the moment. He suspected the others didn’t feel like kids either. They looked dirty and exhausted, covered in blood and grime and bruises. But they had saved the world, or so he was assuming. He cleared his throat, wincing at the raw pain that shot up his head. 

‘Sorry to bother you, but do you reckon you could tell me if the war’s finally over? The big war, I mean, with the earth lady?’ The group whipped around wildly, hands flying to weapons. Clovis held up his good hand in surrender, but even that was too much effort. He lowered it again, licking his dry lips and tasting blood. 

‘Clovis?’ Annabeth stood up in surprise, her blonde hair curling limply in front of her eyes. She brushed it back impatiently, striding forward to look at him. 

‘The one and only.’ He grinned weakly up at her. His eyelids felt heavy and his skin felt raw all over, as if he had been rubbed down with sandpaper. ‘Glad you’re alive and everything, Chiron told us about Tartarus.’ He nodded to Percy, who smiled wryly back. Jason detached himself from Piper’s side, limping over to join Annabeth, who looked concerned. ‘Did you win?’

‘We won, barely.’ Jason said before frowning. ‘What happened to you?’ 

‘One of those explosives, the big ones that look like metal spheres. It landed right by my foot and I didn’t notice till it went off.’ Jason winced and Annabeth made a small sound in her throat. Clovis let his head fall to one side, leaning half against the wall and half against his shoulder. He probably looked insane, but everything just felt too heavy. 

Annabeth opened her mouth to say something just as the doors flew open again. One of them crashed into the wall and wobbled in its hinges. Clovis snorted as a very familiar boy sprinted through them, skidding to a stop in time to avoid tripping over a bed. 

‘Will?’ Percy said, getting up slowly. Leo sat up on the bed, propping himself up on his elbows. The Roman girl kept her hand on her dagger. Everyone looked confused as the son of Apollo looked around wildly. His eyes found Clovis and the colour drained from his face. Clovis just grinned and waved, although he felt kind of sick after moving. Will raced over to his bed and knelt down. His eyes flicked rapidly from Clovis’ arm, to his leg and back up to his face until Clovis sighed and poked him in the shoulder. 

‘I’m fine, Will, stop worrying.’ Will made a high-pitched noise that sounded kind of like a cat being strangled, or Clarisse singing. 

‘You were launched face-first into a pile of rocks.’ Will hissed, ignoring the rest of the room, who mostly looked bemused. ‘That’s not my definition of fine.’ 

‘Well, obviously we need to get you my personal dictionary.’ He prodded Will in the shoulder again and then looked up as Annabeth started speaking. 

‘I didn’t know you two were friends.’ She said cautiously. Clovis hid a smile and shrugged one shoulder, mindful of his arm. ‘I was just about to ask if you need anything. I can go and get a medic if you like?’ 

Will shook his head firmly. He gave Annabeth a strained smile. ‘I think I’ve got it from here Annabeth, but thanks. And I’m glad you’re all back.’ Clovis was about to protest and ask for another medic. He poked Will in the shoulder again but Will grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together. Annabeth looked from their intertwined hands to their faces and smiled faintly, walking back to the group with Jason at her heels.

Clovis rolled his eyes and then slammed them shut tightly against a wave of dizziness. He felt Will squeeze his hand after a couple of seconds and opened his eyes to his worried expression. 

‘Concussion?’ He asked softly. 

‘Yeah. They gave me some nectar and ambrosia earlier, but I don’t think it can work unless my bones are set. D’you think you can work some of your healing magic on me?’ Clovis yawned widely, blinking blearily at Will, who stared back affectionately. “You have very long eyelashes for a boy. Do you use mascara?” 

‘Definitely a concussion,’ muttered Will, rolling his eyes. ‘I think I can heal you, I’ve got everything I need here.’ He stood up, releasing Clovis’ hand and turning to rummage through the supplies in the cabinet next to the bed. Clovis took the time to check for any cuts and bruises, but apart from a layer of dirt and sweat, Will seemed relatively unharmed. 

Truthfully, Clovis hadn’t known Will for very long. Being a son of Hypnos meant he didn’t attract a lot of monsters, not like the main demigods did, so he’d avoided camp until he was about fifteen. His mum had been relieved to find out that there was a reason for his constant fatigue, even if it was a dangerous reason. 

Camp Half-blood had been busy recovering from the Titan War, which Clovis was happy to have missed. More and more demigods were being claimed and Chiron had thought that the best way to recover was to carry on as normal, which meant re-introducing all of the old games. That’s how Clovis had met Will. 

“Hey, you still with me?” Will murmured, leaning down with his hands full of bandages and slings. Clovis eyed the cloths resentfully and grimaced. 

“Still here, just reminiscing.” Will hummed and put the bandages down on the bed, next to Clovis’ broken leg. Clovis looked resolutely away as Will started muttering, flexing his fingers and wrists in preparation for some kind of magic. He stared at the group on the other side of the room, who were passing round little squares of ambrosia and caught the eye of Nico di Angelo. The boy was biting his lip, watching the two of them with a melancholy wistfulness. Clovis frowned curiously, but Nico looked away. 

“Right, I normally wouldn’t do this since you have a concussion, but it’ll be easier to put you to sleep while I set everything.” Will looked worried. He twined their fingers together again, his thumb tracing the back of Clovis’ hand. Clovis smiled sleepily. 

“I think I can manage a little nap.” He yawned and eased himself back against the mattress, not even minding the absence of a pillow. A wave of warmth spread through him and he saw the beginnings of a soft blue glow before his eyes slipped closed.

**Author's Note:**

> Any good? Have a nice day!


End file.
